


Life As They Knew It

by Ultra



Series: Moments in Time [10]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Children of Characters, F/M, Gen, Minor Sophie Devereaux/Nathan Ford, Post-Canon, Sad with a Happy Ending, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-01
Updated: 2011-08-01
Packaged: 2020-02-28 14:55:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18758713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/pseuds/Ultra
Summary: They're not prepared for what comes next, but they'll find a way to deal.





	Life As They Knew It

**Author's Note:**

> originally written for meg63005 on LiveJournal as part of a prompt meme.

Eliot wasn’t surprised when he walked into the room and saw Parker sitting there. The red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks would usually be unexpected but not so much in circumstances such as these. Still, the hitter wore a shocked expression as he took in the baby held tight on the thief’s knees.

So much like her mother it was haunting, Mary Ann could easily have been Sophie de-aged. The idea of such a thing might’ve been amusing on any other day but the tragedy that had brought them both here put paid to that.

After everything that had happened when they were a team, a car wreck was no way for them to go. The notorious Nathan Ford and his glamorous grifter wife, they were living the fine life in a far away place, where cops and bounty hunters would never come calling, a decision made within moments of Sophie discovering she was expecting. The team dissolved but kept in touch whenever they could, just perhaps not as often as they should.

Eliot had promised over and over to visit, to meet baby Mary Ann before she was grown. Now here she sat with ‘Aunt’ Parker, a one year old orphan.

“Ah, Mr Spencer.” The lawyer appeared, looking about as legal as Eliot’s life’s work but that didn’t matter. “I’m glad you’re here...”

“She’s ours now.”

The first words spoken by Parker since he walked in hit Eliot full on in the chest, like three bullets that pierced his heart. Any other person might’ve asked what they really meant, but he didn’t need to. Years in Parker’s company, Eliot knew her ways, every quirk of her lips and inclination of her head. She meant just exactly what she said, in the simplest terms. Mary Ann was their baby now, to raise the best they could for Nate and Sophie’s sake. It was what the lawyer would have taken a speech to explain; Parker simpled it up to three words, knowing they were all that was needed.

“Okay.” Eliot simply nodded, trying to find even a watery smile but failing miserably.

They weren’t cut out for this, they just weren’t prepared for this kind of family, to raise a baby, especially not together. Still, they were going to try, because there wasn’t exactly a choice being given here.

Despite the saying, Eliot knew there was honour amongst thieves, some of them anyway. He gave his word in that moment to do right by the little girl he was just as soon handed, and knew that no matter how freaked out Parker clearly was, she would promise the same.

_One year later..._

“Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear Mary Anne. Happy Birthday to you!”

The chorus of only two voices ended their song and the two year old between them giggled happily, clapping her hands.

“Again, again!” she begged of her parents, who were not her parents at all, though she hadn’t a clue about that.

The truth was Eliot and Parker loved her just as much as if they had made her themselves. They had also learnt to love each other in a way they really never saw coming.

“No, not again!” said Eliot with a chuckle as he ruffled the child’s hair. “That’s three times, baby girl, and that’s two times too many already,” he told her with a grin, as he dropped a kiss on top of her head and scrambled to get up off the floor.

“Ooh, where’s Daddy going?” Parker asked Mary Anne as she picked the child up off the cushions and snuggled her close. “I think there’s a surprise in the kitchen!” 

No sooner were the words spoken than Eliot emerged with a cake in his hands, small enough for just the three of them, but still big enough that Mary Anne’s eyes were wide as saucers at the sight of it. Eliot refused to go store bought on this and had spent hours making it just perfect for his little girl. It was worth it, he realised, as she beamed at him.

Parker helped blow out the two candles, and both girls applauded the wonderful baker’s efforts.

“Look how happy she is.” Parker sighed as she put her head on Eliot’s shoulder. “I can’t believe we got this far.”

“Long way still to go, darlin’,” he told her, hugging her close and kissing her hair, “but yeah, one year in, I think we’re doing okay.”

This wasn’t quite the life they planned and they never really thought for a moment they could be happy in it, but so far so good, that’s what they were both focusing on right now, as they headed into the future and whatever it threw at them.


End file.
